I had a root canal several years ago and it my case it was very complicated. I don’t think a student would have been able to do it—the dentist saved the tooth and added some kind of support and an implant. I also had a few cavities and a broken tooth, since I had no dental insurance for 10 years and hadn’t gone.

My current dentist is the professor of all those student dentists at one of the dental schools and has more than 20 years of experience, and it took nearly a year of visits to get my mouth fixed and the root canal took a few visits. The visits were only 60-90 minutes though. But I did not feel any pain at all and I felt safe with someone experienced. Even with my insurance I still had a lot to pay since their fees are high but it was worth it. I’ve been going to this practice since for about 8 years and have only had a couple of cavities in that time. What has helped me is switching to a battery toothbrush. Electric or battery toothbrush cleans a lot better. I don’t know if you have one. I have a dental cleaning every six months.

A student dentist would be okay for basic stuff (I did that when I was a grad student in another state) but I’d be reluctant to have a root canal done by anyone but an experienced professional. Others have vouched for the student clinics though.